Recipe Rundown

So, I’m incredibly behind on my recipe posts (sorry!) but we have been doing plenty of yummy cooking! Here is a little rundown of our semi-kind cooking highlights... ENJOY!

Spicy Rainbow Rice and Black Bean Salad + Fish Tacos

My hubby and I still eat fish, it’s the one ‘meat’ that we have yet to give up. Every other week we make the most delish fish tacos with a yummy mango salsa and we’re never disappointed. It’s one of my fave ‘go to’ weeknight meals because it’s incredibly simple to make. We recently decided to kick up our bi-weekly fish taco dish with a side of Oh She Glow’s Spicy Rainbow Rice and Bean Salad. And we LOVED IT! It’s so delicious and the spices really kick up the flavor profile of the dish… plus, it holds really well and you can eat it for leftovers for days.

FISH TACOS (For 2)

What You'll Need ...

1 Fillet of Tilapia     (Preferably non-farmed)

1 Tomato – Chopped

Trader Joes Pineapple Mango Salsa

Trader Joes Salsa Verde

1 Avocado – chopped into cubes

2 WW Tortillas or small corn tortillas

½ Lime

1. Spray your frying pan with some EVOO and lay the filet down to cook, flipping sides every few minutes. Squeeze on the lime juice. Continue cooking until it’s flaky and white. Then make your taco with the additional items listed above. (& add in some of the salad below - DELISH!)

Spicy Rainbow Rice and Bean Salad       (Makes 6 Cups) 

Adapted from Vegan Yum Yum Cookbook & Oh She Glows Blog 

 

What You'll Need ...

1 bag of Trader Joes Brown Rice     (pre-cooked package)

1 tbsp of EVOO

1/2 cup chopped sweet onion

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp coriander

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp oregano

1 garlic clove, minced

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

3 tbsp soy sauce

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup frozen corn

2 medium carrots, peeled and grated

1 tsp Earth Balance, to stir in 

1. Chop all veggies so they are ready before you start cooking. 

2. Prep your skillet with the tablespoon of EVOO over low-heat. Add in the in the onion and    sauté until golden. Add all spices, minced garlic and sauté.

    

    3. Add in the soy sauce and the drained and rinsed black beans and stir well. Heat for about 5 minutes on medium heat.

    4. Add the frozen peas, grated carrots, and frozen corn and stir well. Heat on low for another 5 minutes.

   5. Stir in the cooked and drained rice and a teaspoon of Earth Balance (or butter).

6. And enjoy .......       

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Minted Orzo and Zucchini Salad

I made this super yummy flirt salad from Whole Foods Reipes for the 4th of July with my fam and it was the perfect side dish to the chilean seabass and grilled veggies my brothers made. The mint seriously made the dish - I highly recommend it for a weekend meal (it takes a bit of time) or for a pot luck. Enjoy!

Photo courtesy of WholeFoods.com

Serves 4 to 6         *Make sure to let this salad chill for a few hours before serving.

What You'll Need ...
1 cup dried orzo
2 large zucchini, thickly sliced
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped mint
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
6 ounces feta cheese, cut into cubes
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives
2 ripe tomatoes, chopped
Ground black pepper to taste   

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add orzo and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain well, rinse in cold water and drain again. 

2. Meanwhile, arrange a rack about 6 inches from the heating element and preheat broiler. Brush zucchini with 1 tablespoon oil and arrange on a baking sheet. Broil, flipping halfway through, until tender and deep golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Set aside to let cool and then roughly chop and transfer to a large bowl. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil, orzo, lemon juice, mint, garlic, feta, olives, tomatoes and black pepper and gently toss to combine. Cover and chill for several hours until flavors blend.

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Red Quinoa and Black Bean Vegetable Salad 

Enjoyed my yummy lunch with my new book, The Help - Love and Love.

This is another delicious creation from Oh She Glows and it was by far our favorite quinoa dish to date. My hubby seriously had 2 bowls for lunch and 1 bowl for dinner ... on the same day! This is perfect for lunch or a light dinner ... but make sure to double up the recipe because you will want leftovers ... trust. 

What You'll Need for the salad...

1 cup uncooked Red quinoa

1 (14oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 red pepper, chopped

1/4 cup fresh Cilantro, finely chopped

2 Green Onions, chopped

1 cup corn     *we only had frozen - grilled it on the stove and then let cool

1 small avocado, chopped into 1 inch pieces

What You'll Need for the Super YUMMY dressing...
4-5 tbsp of fresh lime juice                  (We only had 1 medium size lime...)
1/2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
1/2 tsp Freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup fresh Cilantro, finely chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp ground cumin, or more to taste

1. Cook 1 cup Red Quinoa according to package directions.
2. While quinoa is cooking, prepare the chopped vegetables and whisk together the dressing.
3. Allow quinoa to cool after cooking for about 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Add the beans and vegetables and toss well.
4. Drizzle dressing over salad and toss well with salt and pepper to taste. Put the salad in the fridge for about 10min before eating.

Kale - Love it or Hate it? I think i LOVE...

Before reading The Kind Diet I rarely tried new veggies but now I love so many of the ones I used to despise, namely cucumber, mushrooms, brussel sprouts, red onion and KALE, especially kale.We went to Whole Foods this weekend and I decided I needed to try something that scared me and stumbled upon a whole lotta kale and figured 'what the hell?' 

Kale is a great veggie to add to your shopping list because it has a crazy amount of nutrients, high levels of anti-inflammatory agents and cancer fighting power; it is chock full of fiber and calcium (a huge plus for me!) and when prepared alongside the right ingredients it's pretty freaking delicious. In my research, I also learned that this superfood is great for people fighting diabetes because it helps maintain normal blood sugar levels and it also can help lower (the bad) LDL Cholestorol. So, it's basically something we should all incorporate in our meals as much as possible.

We tried the following recipe adapted from Oh She Glows - one of my fave blogs - and it was DELICIOUS - the ingredients compliment each other so well, even my meat-eating hubby was raving about it! The key to this is to massage the dressing into the kale leaves so you don't get the usual bitter kale taste ... Enjoy!
Note: This recipe could have been vegan-proof but I wasn't able to find the key ingredient in the Tahini Lemon dressing so I went store bought and this is now a good 'flirt' dish. You can find the vegan version on Oh She Glows.

What You'll Need: (use however much you like of each - i'm not big on measurements)
-  Cucumber
- Tomatoes
- Red Onion
- Kale (duh)
- Cranberries
- Carrots
- Avocado 
- Walnuts
- Red Pepper
- A yummy dressing.  We used *Annie's Goddess Dressing and it was delish!


You'll want to prep the kale - pull off the bushy parts from the stems (the stems are super bitter) and rinse in a collander. Let sit. Cut all your veggies. 

You'll want to marinate your kale in the dressing - mix it in and massage it into the kale. Add your veggies and put the salad in the fridge for 10-15min. After the salad sits for a bit toss in the walnuts and cranberries and eat!

  
This salad is a great side to any meal and it can be a meal in and of itself. It's also a great salad to make for parties or large groups.. I will definitely make this again, and again ... i'm thinking with tofu & quinoa next time - YUM!

*A note about Annie's products - if you're looking to add more organic & vegan friendly items do your diet they carry a bunch of yummy options ... click here to browse.